2016 Opel Astra Release date

The current Astra has been around since 2009 and in the meantime it managed to become one of the better selling cars in Europe as well as some parts of Asia. However, its design is starting to get old and the car is in desperate need of a refresh. GM didn’t seem really up to the task mostly because the Cruze was in the design phase.

However, since that car has been completed they managed to shift their focus on the 2016 Opel Astra and since they did it, there have even been prototypes of the car spied testing on the Nurburgring.

2016 Opel Astra front

2016 Opel Astra Release date

Its release date has been set in November 2015 and until then GM is going to further develop the car. While an actual photo of the car hasn’t been released just yet, we can expect it to change in a similar fashion to how the Corsa changed, meaning most of the panels are going to be different even though the general design of the car is going to be similar to the previous generation.

Price for 2016 Astra

On top of that, it will receive new technologies as well as new model trims depending on the market it will be sold in. The price on the other hand is going to remain unchanged from the previous generation so the new Astra is likely to cost between $17,000 and up to around $40,000 for the high end OPC version.

2016 Opel Astra side

Opel Astra 2016 Engine

Engine wise it won’t see that many differences mostly because GM only moved the car to the new D2XX platform in order to allow them for future upgrades. Most of the engines are going to be carried over from the previous model.

However, the top of the line OPC model is going to get a newly developed 1.6 liter turbocharged engine with up to 280 horsepower, engine which may very well find its way to the US market on some Buick or even Chevrolet models.

In terms of transmissions, the old 5 speed gearbox is going to be discontinued and replaced with a new 6 speed manual which will not only be lighter but also more compact.

2016 Opel Astra side-rear

Opel Astra Interior

Inside the 2016 Opel Astra things are going to be quite similar to the current model but most of the equipment is going to be upgraded in order to make the car feel more up to date.

A standard 7 inch infotainment system will now be on all the cars while the dashboard is going to be made out of a new material.

Exterior of the Opel Astra 2016

The exterior of the car on the other hand hasn’t been revealed to the public just yet but considering it will be a new model, we should expect new body panels, new headlights and tail lights as well as a slightly fresher look. However, only time will tell how the end result is going to look like.